Description
N.I.C.E. New Independent Curatorial Experience celebrates a significant milestone in 2025: this year’s edition marked the twelfth for this unique training program, designed for young people intending to pursue a professional career as curators. The Master’s program was launched in Turin in 2014 with the aim of creating synergy between the workplace and the training program, between young curators and emerging artists, and thus found its ideal setting within the Paratissima event. Over time, the exhibitions have given rise to N.I.C.E.&Fair, a truly autonomous section within the Paratissima program and the November art week. To give some numbers, over the years, 163 students have been trained and 77 exhibitions have been produced, involving approximately 1,000 artists. Paratissima, which has seen exponential growth in recent years, both in terms of its cultural offerings and audience response, is an event born outside of pre-packaged, institutional frameworks. In a cultural context in crisis, increasingly unable to rely on public funding, Paratissima is an example of how it is possible to operate within an independent framework.
N.I.C.E. was created with the aim of offering young aspiring curators the tools to build their own independent careers, capable of working through alternative channels as well.
The course covered all aspects of the complex curatorial profession, involving both external instructors and young professionals from the Paratissima staff.
They passionately shared the expertise they’d acquired over years of experience. Starting with the conception and construction of the curatorial project, key topics such as fundraising, communication, and exhibition design were addressed.
Since the beginning of the course, alongside the lectures, the 16 students were engaged in a laboratory phase. The students were involved in organizing six different group exhibitions and conducted specific research to select and invite artists to include in their projects. Consistent with the event’s mission, which aims to scout emerging artists, N.I.C.E. also intends to promote young curators by offering them the opportunity to demonstrate their talent, allowing them to directly engage with the curation of an exhibition from its conception. This has led to the creation of six exhibitions that address transversal themes, closely linked to contemporary life.
We thank those who participated in the course for their commitment and professionalism: Oyku Atan, Giusy Capuano, Eleonora Gandolfi, Asia De Palma, Alessandro Della Santa, Giulia Flecchia, Sofia Giuntini, Cristina La Piccirella, Debora Magno, Irene Palladino, Elisa Perissinotti, Valeria Radkevych, Martina Todaro, Michele Travaglio, Giovanna Tricarico, Irene Tubiolo.
Educational and scientific coordination of the course by Francesca Canfora.
